Manufacture of structural units



March 19, 1929. 1', KELLER I 1,705,618

MANUFACTURE OF STRUCTURAL UNITS Filed March 15, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Albert 1. Elle]? March 19, .1929. KE R 15705.618

MANUFACTURE OF STRUCTURAL UNITS I Filed Mal ch 15, 1926 51 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ll i v [l ll Q i I mvsu fim Alert z'zgzzani ATTORNEY March 19, 1929. A. -.T. KELLER 1,705,618

MANUFACTURE OF STRUCTURAL UNITS I Filed March 15, 1926. 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 E; 21 ii 1 1 f;

l 1 l g A INVENTOR March 19, 1929. A. 1'. KELLER MANUFACTURE OF STRUCTURAL UNITS Filed March 15. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 uWENToR flfierl I. 29510]? BY Y 52% ATTOR Y UITE STATES,

nane rFicE.

ALBERT 'r. KELLER, or BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, nssrenon r BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY.

MANUFACTURE OF STRUCTURAL UNITS.

Application filed March 15, 1926. Serial No. 94,740.

My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of steel or iron beams, girders, bars or other structural pieces or shapes having heads or flanges and pertains more particularly to improvements in producing an I or H beam of comparatively thi'n cross section compared with beams of standard cross section.

When the metal of the flanges is rolled relatively thin it does not flow uniformly, the marginal edges become waved and it has been found diflicult in commercial practice to obtain straight flange edges along the length of the beam with the usual type of edging rolls of the universal mill or the edging surface of the closed pass of the standard mill. Furthermore, the thin mar- =ginal edges cool rapidly, are quickly chilled and as the portions of the rolls which are in contact with'the edges move at a slower speed than the metal and consequently the chilled edges, having lost their plasticity, are torn or broken.

The object of my invention is to provide a method for rolling shapes of unusually thin cross section, suitable for joists in building construction.

In its general aspect, my invention coinprehends a method of rolling structural shapes of unusually thin cross section, wherein the flanges are rolled wider than the desired width in the finished article, and finally sheared to finished dimensions.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevations of the rolls showing the passes for shaping the metal.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the rolling mill illustrating the preferred arrangement of shearing machines.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the shearing machine with the beam in position.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate types of structural shapes which may be produced by practicing my invention. 7

Preferably I start with a bloom or billet 10, which in passing through pass 11, is provided with diagonally opposed flanges 12 and 13, and with somewhat shorter rudimentary flanges 14 and 15. The billet 10 is returned through the next pass 16 in which the flanges 14 and are flattened in the groove 17 and the flanges 12 and 13 are extruded into the groove 18. Hence it widened somewhat more than the flanges 12 and 13. It'will also be seen that the latter flanges are in grooves disposed out of normal relation to the axes of the rolls in the first pass and are formed by substantially flat faces whichtaper or converge toward each other outwardly with an, open space at the end of the pass. In the second pass the flanges 12 and 13 are in grooves normal with respect to the axes of the rolls and the metal of the flange isextruded laterallyby the converging flat faces which form the groove, in contrast to the flattening action of the faces in the flanges in the obliquely disposed passes aforementioned. Preferably the last mentioned grooves are of suflicient depth to allow for the unrestricted flow of the metal and do not confine the metal in a lateral direction. In the subsequent passes the flanges are alternately flat-. tened and extruded, the beam being passed backward and forward between the passes.

until the metal is reduced to the desired thickness; In pass 19 the web 20 is substantial- 1y horizontal and the flanges are bent into proper position. I

It will be seen with the above described method of rolling there is no edge rolling on the flanges. Other methods of rolling may be employed in practicing my invention, for instance, I have found that by employing the method of rolling structural shapes disclosed in Letters Patent Reissue 16,097 issued June 16, 1925 to Henry Grey, I am able to roll beams of unusually thin cross section of the type illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

As previously mentioned, when rolling beams of extremely thin cross section it is very diflicult to maintain a straight finished flange edge acceptable to the building trade, the beam will usually have waved and defective'flange edges, unless great care is exercised during the rolling operation. However, in accordance with my invention, the flanges are rolled somewhat wider than desired and the marginal edges sheared to size. In this manner the defective metal at the edge of the flange is removed and the rolling operation does not need the care which would otherwise be required to roll the flanges of thin shapes to finished size.

When practicing the aforementioned Grey method of rolling I may omit the step of will be seen that the flanges 14 and 15 arerolling the edges of the'flanges inthe suppledraw out to a width to which the metal will mental rolls, and thus allow the unrestricted lateral flow of the metal so that the flanges flow during the successive rolling passes in the universal mill.

After leaving the finishing pass, the beam is transferred to the shears 21 and 22, which are preferably placed in tandem as illustrated in Fig. 3. The shear 21 is arranged to trim the upper flanges andthe shear 22 acts on the lower flanges; the web of the beam being in vertical position as the beam passes through the shears. Only one shear may be employed and the beam passed twice ,through the shear, first shearing one pair of flanges and then reversing the position of the flanges and shearing the other pair of flanges. A suitable guide (not shown) is provided to steady the beams in its central position while passing through shears. I do not confine myself to any specific type of shear and in the preferred form of apparatus for practicing my invention I have illustrated a sheai of the rotary type. The flanges of the beam are fed between the overlapping edges of the shearing discs 23 which are'positively driven by the motor 24 through the gearing 25.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have evolved a method of manuthereof, and I desire, therefore,'..that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An improvement in the art of making flanged shapes of predetermined size, consisting in forming the shape by rolling it with at least one of its flanges out of normal angular relation to the web, feeding the shape through a rolling pass or passes having at least one of the flange forming grooves open, bending the flanges to normal position, the rolling being continued until the cross section is reduced to a conslderable degree of thinness and the flanges are appreciably wider than is desired in the finished product to eliminate the care necessary to produce perfect edges, and then shearing the flanges throughout their length to remove a portion thereof thereby to produce perfect edges.

2. A process for manufacturing a flanged structural unit of predetermined size, comprising the steps of rolling a blank until its cross section is reduced to a considerable degree of thinness and its flanges are appre ciably wider than desired in the finished unit 1 v to eliminate the care necessary to produce perfect edges, and then shearing the flanges to the desired width and thereby to produce a perfect edge.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 6th day of March, 1926.

ALBERT T. KELLER. 

